The Foundry brings together do’ers, innovators, and action seekers. Our primary function is to provide affordable work spaces for product-related businesses.
We dream about having weavers and welders, woodworkers and glassworkers, carvers and potters, all under one roof, all experimenting with their craft, while helping to build their small enterprises.
For many of us involved, we get new ideas and perspective from the organic process of discussion, debate, and exchange with the others we work with. We also offer educational opportunities and often work with school age children, exposing them to alternative career options and giving them hands-on skills.
The Foundry merged with Buffalo Lab to promote makerspace and memberships. The Foundry fully set up the Woodshop makerspace, and the Metal, Textile, and Tech Lab Makerspaces are on their way for 2017. The Foundry continued to expand its class offering, including a 10 week Wooodworking Series. Additionally, The Foundry hired one AmeriCorps VISTA and two new Youth Leaders, and partnered with WEDI to offer additional business services for tenants. Construction began on the 2nd floor, which will add 18 additional spaces for new businesses. In addition to all this The Foundry was awarded $80k over 2 years to fund through John R. Oishei Foundation to fund an Education Manager and will be hiring a second AmeriCorps VISTA in the summer of 2017 to streamline their small business incubation services.
Source: thefoundrybuffalo.org